CU mulls rules for nodal online entry

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Calcutta University

Calcutta University has almost finalised a methodology of admitting students to its 141 affiliated colleges through a centralised online system, an official said following preparatory meetings with technical experts.

“Our decision to introduce centralised online admission to undergraduate courses from the next academic session is final. We are in touch with the principals of the colleges and the agencies that are going to provide us technical help,” Dhrubojyoti Chatterjee, pro vice-chancellor (academic), Calcutta University, said on Friday.

All the colleges have been asked to ensure they have high-speed Internet connections and a website.

Those who do not have Net connections and a website have been asked to install the facilities as soon as possible. They have been directed to contact the university and the education department and seek help if they face any problem.

The next academic session is slated to begin in July and the colleges that do not have Net facilities will have to install the necessary devices by April, said Chatterjee.

The higher education department has engaged agencies like Webel to equip colleges with the facilities needed for the centralised online admission system.

Officials of the agencies held several rounds of meetings with senior CU officials on the College Street campus on Thursday to discuss the requirements for starting the online admission, a source at the university said.

Officials said talks are on on issues like keeping minority institutions (such as Scottish Church, Loreto, Al-Ameen College and Shri Shikshayatan) out of the purview of centralised online admission.

According to the plan, the website of each college will provide details of the courses offered.

Each student can apply to a maximum of 15 colleges. Those who have studied science in Plus-II will be able to apply for all three streams — science, arts and commerce. Those from the commerce stream can apply for commerce and arts courses. Those who have studied arts in the Higher Secondary can only apply for arts courses.

The colleges, according to the proposed system, will have the freedom to set their cut-off marks. The software will allow students to apply for subjects for which he or she has the qualifying score.

After the application process is over, the university will prepare merit lists for each subject.

There might be second or third lists, if needed.

A CU official said the university is likely to allow students to cancel admission to a college and take a transfer certificate if he or she is allotted a seat in his/her preferred subject in another college in the second or third list.

“Also, students whose names figure in the first list may lose their berths if they don’t take admission within a particular period,” the official said.